The agreement signed between EDF and CNNC, a key player in the Chinese nuclear industry, is intended to strengthen the engineering collaboration between the two companies, which started with the construction of the nuclear plants of Daya Bay and Ling Ao (Guangdong Province)
– By Chris Smith –
During his visit to China by the President of the French Republic, EDF's Chairman and CEO Henri Proglio signed two agreements with Sun Qin, the CEO of CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation) and He Yu, President of CGNPC (China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Company), thereby marking a new step in the acknowledgment of EDF as a partner in China's nuclear program.
The agreement signed between EDF and CNNC, a key player in the Chinese nuclear industry, is intended to strengthen the engineering collaboration between the two companies, which started with the construction of the nuclear plants of Daya Bay and Ling Ao (Guangdong Province). This agreement will see increased liaison between the two groups, particularly in the fields of training, project management and R&D.
The partnership signed with CGNPC today in the presence of Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable development and the Sea, in charge of Green Technologies and Climate change Negotiations, and Christine Lagarde, Minister for the Economy, Industry and the Employment, complements the joint-venture agreement, concluded with EDF in 2008, for the construction and operation of two EPR nuclear reactors at Taishan (Guangdong Province). It provides a broader framework for cooperation between the two groups, particularly in the fields of engineering, purchasing and R&D. It is also a reminder of the determination of EDF and CGNPC to identify the opportunities for joint development projects, both within China and internationally.
These two agreements are a consolidation of the EDF Group's 25 years' strategic presence in China. As operator of the largest number of nuclear installations globally, the Group is therefore participating, alongside the largest nuclear operator in the country, in the biggest nuclear construction programme in the world. This represents a major opportunity for the entire French nuclear industry and it is EDF's recognised expertise and know-how that is underpinning its position as a major player in the revival of nuclear energy, at international level.
The EDF Group, one of the leaders in the energy market in Europe, is an integrated energy company active in all businesses: generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trading. The Group is the leading electricity producer in Europe. In France, it has mainly nuclear and hydraulic production facilities where 95% of the electricity output involves no CO2 emissions. EDF's transport and distribution subsidiaries in France operate 1,285,000 km of low and medium voltage overhead and underground electricity lines and around 100,000 km of high and very high voltage networks. The Group is involved in supplying energy and services to around 38 million customers around the world, including close to 28 million in France. The Group generated consolidated sales of €66.3 billion in 2009, of which 49% in Europe excluding France. EDF is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange and is a member of the CAC 40 index.